


Radiant Eclipse

by ObamaCare4real



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Badass Sokka (Avatar), F/M, Happy Azula (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:53:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29121498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObamaCare4real/pseuds/ObamaCare4real
Summary: The Southern Water Kingdom's 2nd annual Glacier Spirits Festival is underway. Along with the second Pro-Bending arena scheduled to be open, the festival was expected to be bigger than the first but with darkness looming around the corner, can the monarchs stop the threat that is coming to their throne?
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula/Sokka (Avatar), Suki/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 24





	1. Radiant Eclipse Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Seyary_Minamoto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seyary_Minamoto/gifts), [libbysatton_25](https://archiveofourown.org/users/libbysatton_25/gifts).



> Please leave a review, thank you!

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Avatar: The Last Airbender characters that appear in this story.** _

_**This is an AU/canon-divergence so there will be differences between the show and this fanfic.** _

_**See Author's notes below** _

* * *

_**Destiny is shattered and timeless** _

_**Closed eyes feel the cold winds embrace** _

* * *

_**Radiant Eclipse Chapter 1** _

_**Royal Palace, Glacier City, Southern Water Kingdom** _

_**December 18, 110 AG.** _

_The start of the 2nd annual Glacier Spirits Festival was just a day away. The Glacier Spirits Festival was initially meant to build up the relationship between the North and Southern Water Tribes until negotiations and relationships broke down. The event then turned into something that gave the citizens of the Southern Water Kingdom an event to celebrate and enjoy. With the help of Master Pakku and a contingent of various Northern tribe members, the Southern Water Tribe expanded across the entire southern continent, thus leading to the formation of the Southern Water Kingdom. What used to be a frozen tundra turned into an extravagant nation, a safe haven for anyone that wanted to migrate to the south after the Hundred-Year War. Glacier City was established as the capital city of the Kingdom._

_When the Southern Water Kingdom came to be, it also meant the formation of a new governing system, which was eventually decided to be a federal monarchy. There were 20 different states in the Kingdom. Each state was governed by a Chief and two Senators represented the state in the Kingdom's legislative body. And of course, the head of state and government were the King and Queen respectively._

_The Southern Water Kingdom's Royal Palace was the initial location for the legislative and judicial bodies until the Imperium Building was constructed last year. Since then, the palace underwent several major renovations and now served as the residence of the Royal Family (and other high-profile members of the government), while hosting meetings between the King and Queen's secretaries on a weekly basis. The palace was so huge that it would take almost four minutes to walk from one side to the other. After all, it was the second-largest palace/compound in the world, behind the Earth Kingdom's Royal Palace._

_The Palace had its own royal spa, which was a request that the Queen made prior to becoming a monarch. It was one of the things that were on her conditions list when she left her home nation. While the King and his secretaries did use the royal spa, it was used frequently by the Queen and her secretaries. The Queen used the royal spa to make herself regal in appearance and to prepare herself for her daily duties. The palace was also home to the largest martial arts dojo in the world. The dojo was where the King and Queen trained daily. It was a priority for both to keep their martial arts intact, seeing as they were seen by the Kingdom's citizens as the two most powerful people in the world. The Erītogādo (Elite Guard) also trained in the palace's dojo._

_What used to be the original courtroom of the Kingdom now served as the banquet hall/ballroom. The hall hosted many royal events, the notable examples being the birthdays of the monarchs._

_The halls of the Royal Palace were coated in various decorations belonging to the other nations. The torches that emitted blue flames illuminated the halls. Two large statues that represented the Erītogādo. Inside the ballroom were many servants setting up the decorations, tables, chairs, and basically everything and anything that will make the ball look majestic. The Southern Water Kingdom's banner hung behind the table where the royal family sits during such events._

* * *

_The clicking sounds of heels clicking against the marble floor echoed through the long hallway of the East wing as she made her way towards the master bedroom. Several attendants dressed in their formal attire bowed to her when she passed by them. One of them offered her a chocolate mochi, which she took with a warm smile._

_Her attire was akin to what her mother wore when she was the Fire Lady during Ozai's reign of terror nearly a decade ago. Her collar was an inch below her chin and was slightly tighter than what she was accustomed to. The multiple shades of blue and white gave her a more regal appearance, along with the light gray trimming. Her pauldrons were smaller, giving her more room and flexibility for her arms. She was thankful that the tiles were sparkling clean or else the skirt of her dress would be covered in filth. Lastly, the bracers on her arms somewhat gave the indication that she was prepared to go to battle but that wasn't the case this time around._

_She passed by the royal gallery, stopping a moment to admire the portraits of herself and her husband. While the two paintings were the only ones on one side, there were many more on the other sides. The portraits were of the blood relatives of the first king and queen of the Southern Water Kingdom, which was another request (more like a demand) from the queen herself._

"Queen Azula of the Southern Water Kingdom, right. That's a title I'm still getting used to." Azula said, taking a bite out of her mochi.

_Azula was the first Queen of the Southern Water Kingdom. It was something that she never expected, nor it was something that she imagined. Sure, she wanted to rule the Fire Nation by being the Fire Lord at one point in her life. She had the qualifications for it despite being on the other side of the Great War. She was a highly-experienced strategist. She was the one that staged the coup in Ba Sing Se and was the one that stopped the invasion on the day of the Black Sun. Azula had the resume to be a very proficient ruler._

_But she had never thought she'd be ruling the snowy tundra._

_It wasn't surprising when most of the citizens of the Southern Water Kingdom protested her coronation as Queen, and rightfully so. And the idea of having a firebender ruling over the nation didn't sit well with them either. Glacier City saw large amounts of protests for a week straight that called for her to abdicate, and some of the protests nearly broke out into riots. It took the efforts of former High Chieftain Hakoda, Avatar Aang, and the King himself. What made it worse was the Northern Tribe trying to subjugate the South under its leadership._

_The Queen continued to make her way towards the balcony. Azula looked out of a window, looking at the large that was of the last High Chief of the South, Hakoda. It was crafted in his honor after he helped the South win the civil war against the minacious North. That, in turn, helped the South earn its autonomous_

_Azula stepped out onto the balcony, closing her eyes, letting the cold winds embrace her. The balcony gave her a perfect view of Glacier City. She smiled as she opened her eyes to look at the city. She still wasn't used to how different Glacier City looked compared to the Fire Nation Capital. While both cities were similar in size and the most popular structure was were the Royal Palaces, the two cities were different in their own rights._

_The Queen stretched out a finger and released a small burst of blue fire out. She watched the flames fly a few feet outward before disappearing. She found it satisfying that her body adapted to the cold climate of the Southern Water Kingdom, which in turn also helped her firebending adapt as well. During the first two weeks of her presence in the south, her bending was weak to the point where she struggled to maintain an ember in her hands._

_Well, that wasn't the truth._

"Queen Azula." Genji, the captain of the Erītogādo, called for her attention

"Yes?" She responded, turning around.

"Fire Lord Zuko has arrived."

"Okay. I'll be down there in a moment. Please let Zuzu know."

_Genji nodded, retreating back into the palace along with three other Erītogādos._

_Azula turned back around, watching the fireworks fly into the night sky, which indicated that the festival was just a day away. It wasn't as spectacular as the one planned to signal the end of the festival, but it was still magnificent in its own right._

_Content with the fireworks she watched, Azula turned around and headed back inside. The same servant that handed her the chocolate mochi offered the Queen another, which she took without hesitation._

"Thank you." Azula smiled, taking a bite out of her mochi.

"It is my duty to serve the Queen." The servant bowed again.

* * *

"Really Uncle?" Zuko sighed as he and Iroh walked into the kitchen.

"Yes nephew. I do find the leaves the folks here use to make their tea quite exquisite so I suggest that you should try the tea here." Iroh chuckled.

_Uncle Iroh was arguably one of the most prominent people in the Southern Water Kingdom, arguably the most popular in the South, contending with the monarchs. After the Great War, Iroh opted to re-open the Jasmine Dragon in Ba Sing Se but after hearing the news of his niece getting married with the King of the Southern Water Kingdom, the idea of him manifesting the shop in Glacier City became his main goal. As a result, Glacier City was nicknamed "The Tea Capital of the World"._

_Zuko, on the other hand, continued to rule the Fire Nation as the Fire Lord. While he did find it satisfying to rule over the nation, he did find it cumbersome at times. Sure, his advisors and secretaries made it easier for him in a way but none of them had the experience or knowledge that Uncle Iroh or Queen Azula had._

"I should be waiting for Azula at the lobby." Zuko said.

"Sit nephew." Iroh smiled, patting the stool.

Zuko nodded, sitting on the stool and scooting it closer to the high table. Iroh poured the hot tea into two cups.

"When did Azula want everything to be fancy?" Zuko asked, observing the cup in front of him.

"She wanted everything fancy since the day she was born." Iroh joked as he sipped his tea.

"I see."

_Zuko wouldn't admit it but he missed having Azula around. Sure, he had his mother (who he still mistakens for Azula from time to time) and Kiyi to keep him company but it wasn't the same. While he and Azula butted heads as young kids a decade ago, their relationship has healed and grown, forming a strong bond, which was something that he had hoped that happened sooner rather than later. It was fun having her around the palace, he mentally admitted. Zuko enjoyed watching Azula bossing around the servants and messing with guards that were eyeing her from head to toe. Perhaps it was sort of a good thing that she wasn't around either as Azula would constantly avoid Ursa, and would often burn the wardrobes of the Imperial Firebenders that would mistaken her for her mother. He didn't understand the random mood-swings that his younger sister would have but nonetheless, he missed her._

"Can I ask you a question Uncle?" Zuko spoke.

"Of course." Iroh looked up at Zuko.

"How has Azula been?" He asked.

"You don't know how she has been doing? I thought you wrote letters to your sister?" Iron raised an eyebrow before sipping his tea.

"I still write letters to her but I wanted to know from your point of view."

_Iroh chuckled, taking a chocolate mochi from the tray._

"She has been doing quite excellent as the Queen of the Southern Water Kingdom, Fire Lord Zuko. Her popularity has been growing steadily for the past few months. While there's a good amount of people that want to see her gone and out of the Kingdom, the majority of the commoners support her. She was the one that established Glacier City Academy, which had over three-thousand students in its first year of operation. She also has the second Pro-Bending arena in the world, which is just two blocks away from the Academy. Prior to her being crowned as the Queen, the Southern Water Kingdom's homeless population was at 10.7%. Within three months since her coronation, the homeless percentage dropped to 1.3%. The military is quite strong too. I'd argue that the Kingdom's Royal Navy could best the Fire Nation Navy in a battle." Iroh chuckled.

"I seriously doubt that uncle." Zuko laughed.

The two continued to laugh for a few more seconds. Iroh filled up the cups of tea once more, using his index finger to heat up the liquid.

"You know, your sister does miss you too." Iroh said.

"Really now? I didn't take her to be the one to miss someone that's not her husband." Zuko replied.

"Neither have I but she has mentioned several times how she enjoyed teasing and humiliating you." Iroh laughed again.

"Yeah, I don't miss that at all. Anyways, how's life been for you here Uncle?"

"I've been doing quite well. My tea shops are the best in the city and I've been looking towards opening more shops in the other sections of the South. Maybe I should open a Jasmine Dragon in the Fire Nation?" Iroh raised an eyebrow.

"Perhaps you should uncle." Zuko jokes.

"My bending is still strong but I still need more time to adapt to the climate before I could be at full strength, as I am old. Queen Azula's firebending is fantastic as usual but there's something different about it. I mean, her fire is still blue but there's something about it that makes it different when compared to her past selves." Iroh stroked his beard.

"How would you describe it?" Zuko asked.

"Do you remember how you lost your bending?"

"Yeah, I lost my firebending initially because I no longer used rage as my source of power." The Fire Lord said.

_Iroh hummed for a moment before finishing the rest of his tea. He then gestured to Zuko to follow him. The Fire Lord pondered about following his uncle, seeing as he wanted to meet his sister in the lobby but knowing her, she's probably off doing something else to stall._

_The two exited the kitchen, being flanked by the Imperial Firebenders. The two exited the back of the palace and entered The Battleground. Its usage was similar to the dojo that was inside the Palace but there were two major differences between the two. One, The Battleground was an open area, the ground covered in marble tiles and two, The Battleground was to be cleaned after use._

_But of course, Azula didn't follow the second part of The Battleground._

_There she was, standing in the middle of The Battleground. She was out of her formal attire and was now dressed in her battle attire. It was akin to the one she wore when she led the Fire Nation assault on the Western Air Temple a few years ago but with some major differences. First, her entire attire was in Southern Water Kingdom colors as usual. Second, the shoulder pads were smaller but more flexible, giving the Queen more room to use her arms. And third, the tip of her boots were no longer pointed upwards. Rather, they were normal looking._

_Azula inhaled deep before exhaling. With such precision and tenacity, she began to perform her moves. She stood on one leg, raising her knees and arms with her palms open facing up to the sky. The move was then followed up by her stretching out her left leg and planting her foot to the floor, her right arm up to the sky with her left in the opposite direction._

_The movements that Azula were performing looked familiar to Zuko but he couldn't point his finger to what it exactly looked like._

"Do the movements look familiar to you Fire Lord Zuko?" Iroh asked

"...They look familiar Uncle." Zuko said.

_It took a little longer than usual for Zuko to realize that the movements that Azula were performing were the same ones that he and Aang did when the two visited the ancient city of the Sun Warriors when the former realized that his firebending was weak and futile. All of Azula's movements were sharp, fast, and precise._

_Then, the realization hit the Fire Lord's face._

_All of the movements that were being performed in front of him belonged to the ancient Firebending form, Dancing Dragon._

_Azula saw her uncle and brother watching her from a distance. She then decided to end her "ritual" by striking the air with a jab, following it up by letting a burst of blue flame fly past Zuko's head by an inch, much to his irritation and her uncle's amusement._

"You looked scared for a moment there Zuzu." Azula smirked, fixing her hairpiece.

"I am not scared!" Zuko scoffed, making his uncle chuckle.

_Azula smirked, flicking her index on Zuko's forehead. He then hugged her sister, which shocked her for a moment before returning the hug._

_The teenage Azula would've burned her brother on the spot for just simply being in her presence, along with her uncle. Of course time has passed and both siblings have matured into responsible adults but the thought of Zuko hugging her was still surprising to say the least. Maybe perhaps it was due to never having a proper sibling relationship with him while growing up. Maybe it was because of her father manipulating her into being a psychotic war machine. Maybe because it was because of her mother never showing the love and care she gave to Zuko._

_Maybe it was because Azula never had the proper care and support._

_The Queen was the one to break the hug. She dusted off her attire, pretending that Zuko dirtied it. She looked at her brother, giving him a warm, genuine smile that she reserved for the ones she cared about the most._

"How are you Fire Lord Zuko? It's been a while since we've last seen each other." Azula said.

"I've seen better days but I've been doing well. Running the Fire Nation has been tiresome if I must admit. Not having you around has made it hard for me but War Minister Qin has been able to ease some of the pressure recently." Zuko chuckled.

"War Minister Qin? Wasn't he Ozai's War Minister as well? What made you keep him around?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, there weren't many people that had the same expertise as Qin. Besides, the ones that were qualified and had the expertise either are retired or a part of the Southern Water Kingdom." Zuko said, scratching his head.

"Oh really now? Then I suppose that it isn't my fault that I am a better leader than you are and I suppose that I have offered more benefits to the ones you were looking to appoint as War Minister." Azula laughed.

"You have a War Minister too?" Zuko asked.

"Yes but we here don't use the Fire Nation titles and terminologies." Azula raised a finger.

"So?"

"Whatever. Care to follow me Zuzu?" She asked.

"Where are you heading to?" He said

"The Royal Sports Complex is being opened up in Glacier City. Have you heard of the sport called Basketball?"

"I've heard of it but I never got the gist of it."

"If you want to accompany me and our uncle to Glacier City, I'll happily tell you everything you'd like to know about Zuzu." She smirked.

"Uh….sure." He responded.

_A royal escort was waiting at the bottom of the main stairs for the Queen and her relatives. In the middle of the escort was the royal carriage being pulled by four White Ostrich Horses. The White Ostrich Horses are the only subspecies of the Ostrich Horse. They were originally brought over from the Earth Kingdom and were bred in the Southern Water Kingdom in order to create an animal that can withstand the climate while being able to perform at maximum efficiency under duress and in combat._

_In the front and the back of the royal carriage were four Imperial Guards and four Erītogādo warriors. Each individual was mounted on their own White Ostrich Horse, decked out in silver and blue armor._

"You take security very seriously here huh?" Zuko asked.

"Of course dum-dum. After the Water Tribe Civil War, there were 12 assassination attempts on my life. Every single attempt has failed miserably thanks to the Erītogādo."

"Would your guards happen to be those ninja-looking people?"

"Yes. While I am more than capable of defending myself against four attackers at once, I do not go anywhere without my guards. You'll never catch me off-guard." Azula raised her finger.

"I see. Well, can I ask you another question?"

"I never took you as the type of person to be asking many questions but since I am in a good mood today, I perhaps shall allow you to ask more questions." She smirked.

"Are you happy?"

_Azula sighed, which made Zuko worried for a moment. The queen stared out of the window, taking in the beautiful sight of Glacier City. She was definitely happy no doubt. The marriage was the best thing to ever happen in her life but she didn't know how to explain her feelings to her older brother._

"Do you know the feeling of achieving almost all of your goals at such a young age but end up not being happy at the end? That's me. I'm sure you're already aware of the fact that I wanted to be Firelord instead of you. So what did I have to do? I had to kiss father's ass and I had to pretend to be someone who I wasn't comfortable being. Sure, conquering Ba Sing Se without a single fatality is a big feat on its own. Hell, I managed to kill The Avatar for a brief moment. I felt I did everything in my power to earn the right to be the Firelord. I will admit that I was jealous of you being crowned as the Firelord. I used the time I spent in the asylum to plot out several different ways of escaping and your assassination. I felt like you stole the position of Firelord from me Zuzu, I truly did. All of the goals I accomplished when we were young weren't enough I suppose but now? I am happy for you, truly." She smiled weakly at her brother.

"Oh, so you're no longer jealous that I am Firelord?" He smirked back.

"Perhaps I am not. You becoming Firelord may have damaged my pride and my will but it allowed me to find a new purpose in life. I escaped from the Fire Nation and disappeared for a while after you ordered my early release from the asylum. I decided to travel across the other nations. It was difficult no doubt and to be quite frank, I was scared for my life. I did not stay in one place for more than one day. I was afraid that I was being hunted down, I was petrified that someone was going to assassinate me."

"What was your new purpose in life?" Zuko asked.

"To serve as the queen of the Southern Water Kingdom, that's my new purpose in life. I…..five years ago, I was wandering around Republic City, just to see what the city had to offer and if I wanted to finally settle down in a place I wanted to be in. I…..I was ambushed by a group called the Kemurik…"

"Kemurikage? Aren't they ancient spirits that haunted warlords in the Fire Islands?"

"Yes but it's obvious that it's not the spirits themselves coming after me. They're a group of people that were hellbent on assassinating me. I'll give props because they nearly came close when I got ambushed." Azula gripped the armrest tight.

"You don't have to continue." Iroh gently squeezed his niece's shoulder.

"It's okay uncle." Azula said.

Iron nodded, allowing his niece to continue.

"I've managed to hold my ground for a few minutes but my mental instability at the time caught up to me, which the Kemurikage took advantage of by using their numbers to overwhelm me. I was beaten, bruised, and burned."

"And Sokka saved you?" He teased.

Azula turned to hide her blush from her brother and uncle.

"Yes, yes he did."


	2. Radiant Eclipse Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Avatar: The Last Airbender characters that appear in this story.** _

_**This is an AU/canon-divergence so there will be differences between the show and this fanfic.** _

* * *

_**No one knows the time they're changing** _   
_**No one will see through** _

* * *

**Radiant Eclipse Chapter 2**

**_Over four years ago_ **

_**Republic City, United Republic of Nations** _

_**November 20, 106 AG** _

_Azula was walking through the busy streets of Republic City. It has been two months since she was freed from the asylum by Fire Lord Zuko. However, she still resented him as he was the one that was responsible for sending her there in the first place. She was scared of being confined to her cell for 22 out of the 24 hours of the day, and she was only let out if she was on good behavior. Despite being the younger sister of the Fire Lord, she was physically, mentally, and emotionally abused by the staff and guards of the asylum. She was called names, beaten, and burned in the spots where it would hurt the most if she refused to even drink her water. Hell, the staff at the asylum were generous enough to give her fresh clothes, that was all._

_The former Princess of the Fire Nation shivered as the rain began to pour down onto the city. She was thankful that nobody had noticed her just yet. An 18-year old murderer roaming free in Republic City definitely wouldn't sit well with its citizens. She tied her hair into a bun and pulled her hoodie over her head to protect her hair from the rain and the cold winds embracing her. She shivered slightly before using her bending to heat herself up. Azula felt lost, lonely, and petrified. Petrified of people trying to hunt her down and making her pay for the atrocities that she had committed during her younger years. A part of her did agree that she needed to pay for her sins but the rational and logical side of her won and made her run away. It was too much for her to bear at this point in her life but she was trying her absolute best to hang on, she truly was. She looked around for a moment before she shot a small ball of blue fire down the alleyway to illuminate it so she could see what she was walking into._

_She debated as to whether blow her cover by continuing to walk with the busy crowd or walk into the alleyway._

_Azula had just made up her mind._

_She turned towards the alleyway and began to walk through it. She admitted that it was scary and grew more fearful of it by the moment as she thought she was going to be ambushed. Her head turned left and right every other second to look out for any potential assassins trying to take her life away. Despite all that, she kept her head down and walked down._

"Just keep walking." Azula muttered to herself.

_The loud thunder that erupted startled Azula, causing her to shake in fear and fall butt first onto the wet floor, drenching her skirt. She looked around again for any potential attackers. None so far. She shook her head as she stood up. She adjusted her skirt and pressed her hand to her butt to dry the skirt. While her bending wasn't as strong or potent as it used to be, she could still hold her own against other benders and non-benders alike._

"Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, what a pity that such a powerful woman like you would end up like this." A voice said.

_Azula performed an open-palm strike in the direction of where the voice came from but her blue flame didn't come into contact with anything. She heard movements behind her and performed another open-palm strike but her blue flames came into contact with a garbage can. She stood up to run but an orange ball of flame shot mere inches by her head. Azula stood back up and immediately crossed her hands to block the incoming ball of flame from hitting her face._

"Oh my, such a weakling you became." The same voice said as she kicked Azula's stomach.

_Azula was sent flying several feet before being stopped by a pole. She groaned and slumped, groaning in pain as she slowly stood up. Her assailant wore a black and purple robe with a mask covering her face. Her assailant walked up and fired a fireball at Azula but she countered with a fireball of her own. Azula finally stood up and stomped her left foot on the ground, creating a wall of flames that she used to conceal her retreat. She picked up her bags and ran down the alleyway but two more assailants jumped in front of her. They both appeared similar to her first attacker but the masks were different. The attacker on the left threw a throwing knife at Azula, which she barely dodged but the attacker on the right connected with an uppercut that was covered in orange flames, sending the former princess stumbling back once more._

_"Three attackers. I can take them on but I need to choose my attacks wisely." Azula thought as the three attackers encircled her._

_Azula dropped her belongings before closing her eyes. She inhaled deeply once before kicking her left foot back, shooting her blue flames at the attacker behind her while stretching her right arm out to strike the one in front of her. The third attacker rushed her but Azula reacted fast enough to send her back flying with a front kick. With her three attackers down for the moment, Azula took the opportunity to pick up her stuff and run away but she was struck in the back with a nunchuck. She groaned as she fell face-first into the puddle of water. She tried standing up but her face, what many considered to be a very beautiful face, was struck by the nunchuck._

"You still got some fight left in you." A second voice said.

"K...Kemurikage?" Azula muttered as she stood up again.

_While Azula's beauty was still present, her left cheek was bruised by the nunchuck. The **Kemurikage's** leader, the one that stood in front of Azula, struck the former princess a devastating roundhouse kick to her belly. She recoiled back but stretched her arm back and threw a wheel of blue fire, distracting the Kemurikage for a brief moment. She thrusted her hands downwards, using her Firebending to propel herself upwards._

_She landed on top of a roof but was knocked back down into the alleyway when a ball of fire struck her back. She made contact with the wet ground and felt several bones crack in her body. She groaned and whined in sheer agony. She wasn't going to admit it but she was weak, too weak to fight back and eliminate the threat that was surrounding her. Too weak to escape and too weak to secure her own fate. She supported her upper body with her arms, trying not to collapse but felt a foot kick her square on the jaw, knocking her back down._

"Pathetic. I thought you would put up more of a fight." The leader of the Kemurikage said as she kicked Azula's stomach, making her hurl a shrieking sound of pain.

"Zirin?" Azula asked, coughing up blood.

"I thought you would notice me sooner." She said as she took off her mask.

"W...why?"

"You left me to rot in that shithole asylum. I should've known that you were using me from the very beginning. I guess that I was too naive to believe a master manipulator like you." Zirin said as she stomped on Azula's left hand.

_Azula shouted in pain once more, her damaged left-hand curling as Zirin stomped on it once more. She used her right hand to get Zirin off of her, which she did successfully by creating a fire whip that sent her back several feet but was then pinned to the ground by two other Kemurikage assailants. She tried blasting off by bending fire through her feet but her calves were kicked repeatedly by the ones pinning her to the wall. Azula tried wiggling out but her entire body was aching. Suddenly, her left forearm was burned from Zirin, who was sporting a nasty burn on her face._

"I guess the asylum made you even more insane." Zirin said as she slapped Azula.

"S...stop!" Azula shrieked as Zirin punched Azula's stomach.

"Care to say that again?" Zirin pulled Azula's hair back.

"S...stop..." She said.

"You're asking me to stop? How do you think those prisoners felt at the Boiling Rock when you tortured them?" Zirin asked as she slowly set ablaze Azula's skirt.

_Azula looked down, staring at the fire that slowly started to burn her skirt. Her body was in so much pain that even a simple movement of her leg was painful to bear. She flexed her damaged hand, feeling the bones move against each other. In one last desperate attempt, she attempted to stomp her right foot to create a wall of blue fire but a Kemurikage jabbed a dagger into her thigh, making her feel more pain than she already was feeling. The fire crept up halfway through the calves, feeling the burning cloth on her skin._

_She began to cry._

"The mighty Princess Azula has fallen, any last words?" Zirin asked as she stretched out her index finger in the air, generating a ball of fire that grew.

"Just...just kill me!" Azula shouted as her tears fell.

"That would be my pleasure." Zirin smirked.

_As soon as Zirin was going to throw the fireball at Azula, a shuriken was thrown at her hand, slicing up a large cut and causing the fireball to shoot in the air. The rest of the Kemurikage turned to where the shuriken came from but they were met by a volley of shurikens and arrows. They threw their hands up to create a wall of fire to protect themselves from the projectiles. Zirin turned to Azula for a moment but decided that she was going to save her own life instead of taking hers. Zirin threw a fireball in the direction the shuriken came from but the fireball was deflected right back at her, which caught her off guard. The fireball struck Zirin square on her chest._

"Hanzo, grab the princess." A voice that Azula immediately recognized said.

"On it bossman." He responded.

_Hanzo took an arrow from his quiver and pulled it back on his bow. Small flames conjured around the tip of the arrow as Hanzo pulled the arrow back at full force before firing. The arrow was released, the flame on the tip growing into what became a dragon made of orange fire. The blazing arrow forced the Kemurikage to dodge it, some of them feeling the burn due to the intensity of the fire. The arrow manages to lodge into the heart of one that didn't manage to dodge it, killing her instantly. The Kemurikage then tried rushing Hanzo but he fired six arrows in quick succession to force them away from her._

_Azula tilted her head and saw Hanzo. She instantly recognized him due to his Firebending but noticed how he was wearing Southern Water Tribe Colors. She tried to sit up but the pain was too immense. Suddenly, the former Fire Nation Princess felt a pair of arms lift her up but she freaked out in response in fear of being abused yet again, a fear that started in the asylum. Despite the pain that was still present in her body, she couldn't help but feel the warmth that was radiating from the man that was carrying her. The touch and the feel were recognizable but due to her state of mind, she couldn't point a finger at who it was but she was grateful for him and Hanzo for saving her. Though, she freaked out again and forced the man to drop gently to the ground._

"You will not escape with her!" Zirin shouted as she trusted her hand forward to burn Azula and her savior.

_The flame nearly reached Azula and her savior but a man wielding a katana deflected the flame back at her, striking her and forcing her to fall into a stream. Her unconscious body was then followed by the Kemurikage, who were forced to retreat from Hanzo._

"Good work Genji." The man turned to the ninja.

"Anytime Sokka. That's what I do best." Genji said as he picked up a mask that belongs to the Kemurikage.

_"Sokka? Sokka?!" Azula thought._

_Azula grew more petrified as Sokka walked up to her. She was scared that he was finally going to kill her for what she did during the Great War. She thought that he was going to beat her to death with that silly boomerang of his. Sokka's face was covered in war paint and he was wearing a helmet that resembled a wolf's head. The Blue Wolf, that was the name that she remembered hearing when she was stuck in the asylum. His "space sword" was sheathed on his back, his forearms covered in bracers that protected him from sharp weapons._

"Azula." Sokka said as he knelt next to her.

"Wh...what...what do you want snow peasant?" She asked weakly as she spat blood.

"Let me help you." He offered as he took out a healing bottle.

"No." She spat, letting her pride get in the way.

"Look Azula, there are two possible outcomes. One, you let me and my men take care of you or you can stay here and potentially bleed out to death, your choice."

_Azula sighed, not having much of a choice. While she did despise the snow savage in front of her, and has a great disdain for the Southern Water Kingdom, being under his care sounded much better than bleeding out and dying alone in the alley. With much reluctance, she agreed to be helped. She stretched out her hand to be helped up, which Sokka did._

* * *

_**Present time** _

_**The Royal Sports Complex, Glacier City, Southern Water Kingdom** _

_**December 18, 110 AG.** _

_Sokka was sitting down on his designated chair while watching the kids play basketball, reminiscing the time he saved Azula from the Kemurikage. It had been four since the fateful day. It took a very long time to rehabilitate Azula, with some days that made him think about giving up on saving the former Princess of the Fire Nation but he was glad that he did not. Because if he had given up on her and had just sent her on her way, Spirits knows what would end up happening to her. There were many possibilities; she could've been a nomad and move around the nations, settle down in a remote location far away from civilization, or perhaps hunted down by the Kemurikage and possibly killed._

_That last part made Sokka cringe but he ended up chuckling. Because without Azula, the Southern Water Kingdom wouldn't have come into existence._

_He was suddenly kicked out of thoughts as a basketball hit his groin, causing him to wheeze in pain. The kids that were playing basketball were laughing at their king on the floor holding his private parts. The **Erītogādo** looked at the kids with much curiosity before helping up Sokka, who was chuckling slightly._

"Now, now. Who threw the basketball?" Sokka asked, twirling the basketball on one finger.

_The kids answered by continuing their laughing. Sokka shook his head but smiled, ruffling their hairs as he stretched out his legs and arms._

_Sokka has changed (obviously) in the past ten years since the Great War. He was no longer the 5'2, 14-year old, skeptical, abrasive, sexist, and the immature kid that he once was. Initially, he did not seem to believe in the bending arts, calling Katara's bending "magic water"._

_He's now a 24-year-old man and the King of the Southern Water Kingdom._

_The adult Sokka stood at 6-foot even. It was quite obvious that in the past ten years that his arms were now filled with muscle, though he was still lean. His face was filled nicely. He had a sharp jawline, which many women found to be the best feature of Sokka besides his crystal blue eyes. Despite being a king, he was a warrior at heart, evident by the scar that started under his left eye and above it (doesn't mean that he's blind). He still wielded his space sword and his signature boomerang. His hair was kept in a short ponytail with the sides shaved clean._

_His current attire was the same one that he wore during the day of the Black Sun,_

"Is it true that you fought off an army of Fire Nation soldiers?" A kid asked.

"Perhaps I did." Sokka smirked, rolling the basketball in between his arms.

"Is it also true that you managed to conquer Ba Sing Se?"

_The question caught Sokka off guard he composed himself right away. He kicked the basketball up in the air and caught it with his head, balancing the ball with his forehead.  
_

"No I have not." He said while keeping his eyes on the basketball.

"Is it true that your team will lose the game tomorrow?" A voice asked Sokka.

_He was caught off-guard yet again. He tried to keep the ball balanced on his forehead but a small bolt of lightning struck near his feet, causing him to lose control of the ball and making him fall to the ground, his face landing in front of Azula's boots. She had an amused smile on her face. She looked back down at her husband for a moment before picking up the basketball. She dribbled the ball in between her legs a few times before passing it on to the eldest kid._

"It seems like you and your pipsqueak team are practicing to lose tomorrow to my team." Azula smirked.

"No, we're preparing to beat your team's butt, your highness!" Alo, the eldest child and team captain of the boy's team spoke.

"Oh, yeah? How about this, since you're so confident that your team will beat mines, we have a little bet." Azula offered Alo.

"Don't." Sokka whispered to Alo.

"Go on." Alo said to Azula, ignoring Sokka

"If you and your team win tomorrow, I will personally give your team a personal tour of the Royal Palace, including the rooms that are off-limits to the Royal Armed Forces members, including the high-ranking officers."

"Really?" The boys' eyes widened in delight.

"Yes. However, if your team loses, which I know that it'll happen, all of you will clean the ostrich horse barn." She smirked.

_Sokka and all of the boys made disgusting faces. They knew how bad the barn smelled and cleaning up after the ostrich horses was a task that almost nobody wanted to do, certainly not five little boys. All of them turned to Sokka to see what he had to say. He looked at them with disbelief before looking at Azula, who was still smirking at him and the boys. He knelt down to meet the boys at head level. He whispered to them, making them chuckle that evolved into laughter._

"What are they whispering about?" Iroh asked Zuko.

"I'm not sure uncle." He responded.

_The boys broke their huddle._

"I think I have something better than taking a tour of the royal palace your highness." Alo said to Azula.

"And what would that be?" She raised an eyebrow.

"If my team wins, we get to take your entire stash of chocolate mochi." He smriked.

_Azula's eyes widened to unimaginable lengths. It appeared as if she was hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, **run amok,** and flat out deceived! She couldn't believe what Alo has proposed to her. Sure, she could bear with one of the boys possibly tossing around her hairpiece. She can definitely deal with having to clean the ostrich horse barn, as she has done it twice in the past but there was no absolute way that she was going to give up her entire stash of chocolate mochi! No way! The queen immediately thought of alternatives that sounded as good as giving up her chocolate mochi as it was one of the last things that she would give up on Earth._

_"Out of all the things he could've asked for, he picked my chocolate mochi? MY CHOCOLATE MOCHI?!" Azula thought._

"Are you scared of a challenge?" Alo smirked.

_Azula's eyebrow twitched, trying to calm her anger down. There was no way that she was going to back down from a challenge but with a ridiculous stipulation attached to it, it was inconceivable for her to accept. She swallowed her pride and begrudgingly shook Alo's hand._

"Fine, I accept." Azula said.

_She raised an eyebrow at Alo, who resumed playing basketball with his team. She sighed before dragging Sokka back to Iroh and Zuko. The Dragon of the West had an amused look on his face while the Fire Lord was confused. He was confused because he thought that his sister was going to incinerate the little kid for angering her. Perhaps he was still holding on to the thought of Azula still being the same person since the Great War. Perhaps he was still thinking that his sister was still under Ozai's influence. His eyes darted to his sister, who was talking to her team._

_He was snapped out of his thoughts by Sokka, who was standing right in front of him._

"Hey there Sifu Hotman." Sokka smiled, patting Zuko's back.

"Sifu Hotman? That's what the Avatar calls me." He chuckled, patting Sokka's back even harder.

_The two shared a bro hug for a moment before breaking it off. The two then walked out of the sports complex and into the carriage, where they sat down and waited for Azula and their uncle._

"How have you been King Boomerang?" He asked.

"King Boomerang? Geez, already firing with the insults." Sokka chuckled.

"The only insulting here is that yee-yee ass haircut on your head." Zuko laughed.

"Hey! It's not a yee-yee ass haircut." Sokka scoffed, fixing his short ponytail.

_Across the Royal Sports Complex was the courtyard where most of the festival was going to take place. Many tents were being set up, decorations originating from other nations were being hung up on strings and stretched across the place. A large Ferris Wheel was being put together, which caught the interest of the Fire Lord, as it was the first time he saw such a thing._

"What brings you here to the frozen tundra?" Sokka asked.

"Well, I just wanted to visit my sister and my brother-in-law of course. And I wanted to see what this Glacier Spirits Festival was all about. Being in the Fire Nation most of the time makes festivals kind of stale in my opinion so I may or may not borrow a few ideas here." Zuko chuckled.

"Stealing ideas like how your father stole land during the Great War?" Sokka smirked at Zuko.

"Ouch, that's such a low blow buddy." Zuko shook his head but allowed a soft smile.

_The two men chuckled for a moment before a moment of silence. The brother-in-laws looked at each other. From Sokka's eyes, Zuko turned into a courageous, intelligent, and humble Fire Lord that many of the Fire Nation citizens supported. He then also imagined Zuko without the scar on the left eye, which made him shiver as he would turn out to look like a younger version of Ozai. Though, that's how genetics work after all seeing as Sokka still mistaken Azula for Ursa a few times._

"I'm guessing that you're wondering how I look like without the burn on the left side of my face?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I do sometimes wonder how I'd look like without my scar." Zuko paused as he touched the scar on his face for a moment.

"I mean, I would prefer to live a life without the scar. I'm sure that Suki wouldn't mind a scarless Zuko but sometimes I shiver whenever I picture myself without the scar. I would look too much like Ozai. It scares me sometimes if I must admit. I don't want to turn into a homicidal maniac Fire Lord like him, no way. Well, if I am grateful for one thing that Ozai did, I'd be grateful for him giving me this scar. It gives me a sense of security, gives me something that makes me unique and gives others something to separate myself from Ozai."

"I see. Well, the scar does make you look badass." Sokka said.

"Has anyone told you that you looked like High-Chief Hakoda?"

"Yeah, a lot of people. Azula does, Katara does, heck! Even those little kids that play basketball!" Sokka exclaimed, making Zuko laugh.

"That's how genetics work. We either look like one of our parents or both. For a while, I thought Azula was going to turn out to be like Ozai in appearance, which I ended up looking like him ironically enough."

"Has your mother been trying to get into contact with Azula?" Sokka asked.

_Zuko sighed, knowing that the question was going to be asked eventually. While he now had a cordial relationship with his mother, Azula didn't have one. The former Princess of the Fire Nation still despised her mother to great degrees._

"Yes, yes she has and I'm guessing that she hasn't bothered responding?"

"Not bothered responding. Um, I saw her once trying to write a letter back to your mother but she stops every time and burns the letter she was writing before starting anew. She's probably trying to forgive your mother but she's finding it hard to do so. I wouldn't blame her if I was in her shoes."

_From afar on a rooftop, a person was watching Zuko and Sokka talk. She pulled her hood down, revealing her long double-braided hair that flowed down to the small of her back. She sported an all-black attire minus the mask she was holding in her left hand. The most distinct feature of her was the burn scar that covered almost half of her face. She placed the mask back on before jumping off the rooftop._


End file.
